Re: MLK's niece on viral hoodie image: 'Martin Luther King Jr. would not wear a hoodie

Quote:

Originally Posted by rezznor

the author of this article happens to be a black.

Good. I didn't say nobody is talking about it at all. I applaud any and all talks. But lets be real, it's largely avoided in left and right mainstream media, because it's not sensational or a narrative that'll draw in ratings. For every piece like that, there are 10 shying away from these problems.

Re: MLK's niece on viral hoodie image: 'Martin Luther King Jr. would not wear a hoodie

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCdac

Good. I didn't say nobody is talking about it at all. I applaud any and all talks. But lets be real, it's largely avoided in left and right mainstream media, because it's not sensational or a narrative that'll draw in ratings. For every piece like that, there are 10 shying away from these problems.

If “racist Democrats became Republicans” I respond with, like who? The racist Democrats we immediately think of were those who turned the hoses on to blacks, blocked them from entering white schools and voted against the Civil Rights Acts during the 1960′s.

The FACT is that the racist Democrats did not become Republicans. Most stayed Democrats and a few joined the American Independent Party. The FACT is that Republicans appealed to the Democrats who were (1) fiscal conservatives, (2) federalists, (3) anti-communist, and (4) anti-racist. The fragmentation of the Democrat during the 1960′s led to a series of political losses from which they’ve been unable to fully recover.

To better understand the type of Democrat that switched political affiliation to the Republican party in the 1960′s, primarily in the South, I will use actual examples:

Claude R. Kirk, Jr. (Florida, ’60) – a former Marina and self-made success, he was pro-federalism and pro-capital punishment; he headed the “Floridians for Nixon” campaign; elected governor of Florida in 1966; later returned to Democrats and then back to the Republicans; only blemish on his record was his anti-busing stance which some called anti-segregation; however, Kirk’s chief of staff during that time, Lloyd Hagaman, explained that Kirk was fighting “forced busing” of schoolchildren, not segregation or desegregation.

Ronald Reagan (California, ’62) – 40th President of the United States; No racial bias or controversies whatsoever.

Charlton Lyons (Louisiana, ’61) – At the time of his death was known as “Louisiana’s Mr. Republican,” he earned accolades such as “Medalion Award for Distinguished Community Service” and “Humanitarian of the Year” was beat in a Congressional race in 1961 by a Democrat, Waggonner, who had once been president of the segregationist Louisiana Citizen’s Council.

Jack M. Cox (Texas, ’62) – Former Texas State Representative; ran in several elections in the 1960s and lost; No racial bias or controversies whatsoever

James D. Martin (Alabama, ’62) – Lost a Gubernatorial election to George Wallace’s wife, Murleen Wallace, who carried all Alabama counties except for the predominantly Republican Winston County in north Alabama. George Wallace could have easily won a second term had he been constitutionally eligible to do so, but his wife ran because he could not. The Wallace’s elections were strengthened because of their opposition to desegregation.

Rubel Phillips (Mississippi, ’63) – ran for Governor; this is an interesting one. He ran as a segregationist, as did his Democrat rival, but his opponent called him “a closet integrationists.” He lost, but he got the “black vote.” He showed that a Republican could obtain black support though there were relatively few African American voters in Mississippi during that time.

James F. Byrnes (South Carolina, ’64) – He was opposed by the KKK; directed massive amounts of state money into black schools; passed a law prohibiting masks being worn other than on Halloween to curb the KKK; sought to modify Jim Crow laws in order to curb racism

Charles W. Pickering (Mississippi, ’64) – As a young prosecutor in the sixties, Pickering worked closely with the FBI to pursue the KKK in Mississippi. In 1966, he testified against Klan member Sam Bowers, who was being tried for the murder of civil rights activist Vernon Damer. After testifying, Pickering and his family needed FBI protection. The Klan later claimed victory when Pickering. He ran successfully for 2 terms to the state legislature. Later, as a federal judge in Mississippi who defended the civil rights of blacks for years and defied the Ku Klux Klan back when that was dangerous, Democrats unfairly depicted him as a racist when he was nominated for a federal appellate judgeship in 2001.

Strom Thurmond (South Carolina, ’64) – Senator; as a Democrat and Dixiecrat (notice they were not known as “Dixiecans”), he was pro-segregation; however, as a Republican he saw the error of his ways which was manifested in many of his actions. He appointed Thomas Moss to his staff (the first black appointment by a member of the South Carolinian congressional delegation). He voted to make the birthday of MLK a federal holiday. And he presided over the Judicial Hearings that put the second black Justice on the Supreme Court. Furthermore, he had a relationship with a black woman which resulted in a daughter which he supported financially for his entire life.

Arlen Specter (Pennsylvania, ’65) – Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Democrat. As a Republican, he supported affirmative action and voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1991. He received a 76% rating from the NAACP in 2008. On immigration, Specter supported a “pathway to citizenship” and a “guest worker program” which opponents call amnesty. He introduced Senate bill S. 2611 (the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006) in 2006.

Roderick Miller (Louisiana, ’65) – State legislator; a rarity in Louisiana at the time, worked toward getting more black voter participation; was also a Kiwanis member.

Marshall Parker (South Carolina, ’66) – A dairy farmer the lost two U.S. Senate campaigns — defeated by Democrat Fritz Hollings — and was a member of the Rotary Club. No racial bias or controversies whatsoever. No racial bias or controversies whatsoever.

Jerry Thomasson (Arkansas, ’66) – As a Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for 4 years, he witched from Democrat to Republican while an state Representative to run for Attorney General of Arkansas; ran against a Democrat segregationist; was a friend and supporter of Bill Clinton; No racial bias or controversies whatsoever.

Henry Grover (Texas, ’66) – switched from Democrat to Republican while a state Representative before successfully running for Texas Senate. Was considered more of a Big Government Republican. No racial bias or controversies whatsoever.

William E. Dannemeyer (California, ’67) – Was a superior court judge before returning to the California State Assembly; has some radical views, but he has nothing in his background that supports that he was ever opposed to Civil Rights, segregation, etc.

Allison Kolb (Louisiana, ’67) – A former state auditor that lost the bid to be state Treasurer; No racial bias or controversies whatsoever.

William Reynolds Archer, Jr. (Texas, ’68) – Member Texas House of Representatives 1971-2001; No racial bias or controversies whatsoever.

James L. Bentley (Georgia, ’68) – Comptroller General of Georgia; Beloved by the people; No racial bias or controversies whatsoever.

Then there is the illogical conclusion that so-called racist Democrat-turned-Republicans decided to stick with the Republican Party even after experiencing very pro-black Republican leadership. In fact, between 1969 and 1974, Americans saw Nixon raise the civil rights enforcement budget 800%, doubled the budget for black colleges, appointed more blacks to federal posts and high positions than any president (including LBJ), adopted the Philadelphia Plan mandating quotas for blacks in unions, and for black scholars in colleges and universities, invented “Black Capitalism” (the Office of Minority Business Enterprise), raised U.S. purchases from black businesses from $9 million to $153 million, increased small business loans to minorities 1,000%, increased U.S. deposits in minority-owned banks 4,000%, raised the share of Southern schools that were desegregated from 10% to 70%, wrote the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in 1975, “It has only been since 1968 that substantial reduction of racial segregation has taken place in the South.” Clearly, this was not the record of racists and no argument can be made as to why true racists would support a political party with such a record. Nixon won re-election in 1973 based on his record… and it wasn’t because he received votes from George Wallace, Orval Faubus, Bull Connor and the rest of the racist Southern Democrats.

Re: MLK's niece on viral hoodie image: 'Martin Luther King Jr. would not wear a hoodie

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kblaze8855

I dont know....
Seems pretty casual.

Being a civil rights leader doesnt mean you wont wear sweatshirts with a hood.

From what I took away from it all though is that MLK Jr wouldn't run around with a hoodie on at dusk. It's all about how you present yourself that will determine how people look at you. If Trayvon Martin was walking down the street with his hoodie off and his face visible, this shooting may not have gone down. When your face is covered up and running down the street (or through people's yards) with a brown bag and a hand in your pocket, people will think you may be shady or hiding something.

And yeah, you could say that people shouldn't judge you by the cover, but that is how real-life works. People DO judge you by your presentation and people DO judge you by how you carry yourself physically and verbally. Everything matters.

Anyways, Zimmerman fu<ked up by completely rushing to act on his judgment without using his head to think for a moment, but it was not entirely his fault. Trayvon Martin is also to blame for this as much as Zimmerman is. The only thing is that Trayvon Martin is not alive to express his end of the story. My guess is that he would say something like "This guy was staring at me and following me around in his car. He was a stranger to me, and I thought he was a crazy stalker so I ran away from him. I wasn't think about my hoodie or anything. He still kept following me on foot afterwards. He could be a gangster trying to kill me. I defended myself from a crazy stalker." How do you respond to that?

Re: MLK's niece on viral hoodie image: 'Martin Luther King Jr. would not wear a hoodie

Maybe this is just where I grew up, but back in my high school days, the only people wearing hoodies (well, 90% of them) were THAT crowd. The type to skip class to smoke cigarettes out on the front lawn, get suspended for fighting etc.. Predominantly white, by the way. But you KNOW the type. Do NOT act as if honour students and community volunteers are wearing 1/10 the number of hoodies as THAT crowd.

Re: MLK's niece on viral hoodie image: 'Martin Luther King Jr. would not wear a hoodie

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bourne

Maybe this is just where I grew up, but back in my high school days, the only people wearing hoodies (well, 90% of them) were THAT crowd. The type to skip class to smoke cigarettes out on the front lawn, get suspended for fighting etc.. Predominantly white, by the way. But you KNOW the type. Do NOT act as if honour students and community volunteers are wearing 1/10 the number of hoodies as THAT crowd.

Eh, growing up in a middle class neighborhood in SA, mostly white and hispanic, I saw hoodies on the regular especially in the 90's when skating skyrocketed in popularity. There wasn't a correlation with bad behavior/outcasts.

Even in hot ass Texas, so many people of all demographics rocked hoodies.

The fact that Trayvon was wearing one, and Zimmerman found him suspicious for whatever reasons (his behavior, mostly), seems like happenstance.